PUNISHED FOR BEING ME

CHAPTER 6

PRATIK SINGHANIA WAS FAMOUS NAME IN OUR COLLEGE. EVERYONE KNEW WHO HE WAS. HE WAS A TOPPER AND WAS THE MODEL STUDENT THAT EVERY TEACHER WANTS. THOUGH HE WAS QUITE POPULAR, NO ONE REALLY KNEW WHO HE WAS. NO ONE HAD A CLUE ABOUT WHAT HE HAS BEEN THROUGH IN HIS CHILDHOOD OR HOW MUCH HE HAD SUFFERED ON HIS WAY TO THE POSITION HE IS IN TODAY. LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT HIM FROM THE BEGINNING.

UNLIKE ME, PRATIK WAS BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON. HIS FATHER WAS A WEALTHY BILLIONAIRE AND HIS MOTHER WAS SOMEONE WHO CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A PERFECT TROPHY WIFE. HE HAD A PRETTY GREAT CHILDHOOD WITH ALL THE LUXURIES, LIKE THE LATEST VIDEO GAMES AND FASHION TRENDS, WITHIN HIS REACH.

HE ONCE SHOWED ME SOME PICTURES OF HIS HOUSE! AND BELIEVE ME, WHEN I SAY, IT WAS NO LESS THAN A MANSION. HE ALWAYS GETS EMOTIONAL WHENEVER MENTIONS HIS HOME, THE REASON, YOU WILL GET TO KNOW AS YOU READ ALONG.

AS THE YEARS OF HIS CHILDHOOD BEGAN TO FADE AND HE EDGED TOWARDS ADOLESCENCE, THE ATTENTION THAT HE USED TO GET FROM HIS PARENTS, MORE AND MORE SCARCE. HE USED TO COME HOME BEATEN, BUT NO ONE SEEMED TO CARE ENOUGH AND TALK THINGS OUT WITH HIM. HIS CARETAKER WAS THE ONE WHO WOULD ALWAYS BANDAGE HIM UP AND TAKE CARE OF HIM. SHE WAS LIKE A SECOND, BUT A BETTER, MOTHER FOR HIM. HER REAL MOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS NEVER SEEMED TO REST IN THE HOUSE. SHE OF THE TYPE WHO ENJOY THE COMPANY OF OTHERS MORE THAN THEIR OWN FAMILY. HIS HIS CARETAKER, MARTHA, WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS ALWAYS THERE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM. SHE WAS HIS GO-TO PERSON. WHATEVER PROBLEM HE HAD, HE COULD GO TO HER AND GET IT SOLVED.

THE FACT THAT HE WASNT TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY BY HIS PARENTS, DIDNT BOTHER HIM WHEN HE WAS WITH HIS FRIENDS. THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HE SHARED WITH THEM WAS THE PUREST OF ALL. THE TIME THAT HE SPENT WITH THEM PLAYING GAMES OR MAKING HYPOTHETICAL PLANS TO SAVE THE EARTH, WERE THE ONES THAT HE VALUED MORE THAN THE TIME THAT HE WOULD GET TO SPEND WITH HIS PARENTS. BUT WHO KNEW THAT ONE DAY BECAUSE OF HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH A CERTAIN BOY WOULD CAUSE A HUGE STORM IN HIS PEACEFUL LIFE.

PRATIK WAS IN THE 9TH GRADE WHEN THIS 'STORM' CAME AND BLEW AWAY EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD EVER LOVED OR CARED FOR.

IT WAS END OF MARCH WHEN IT HAPPENED. PRATIK CAME RUNNING OUT OF HIS CLASSROOM AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE CYCLE STAND WHERE HE PARKED HIS HIGH-END BMX BIKE. HE RODE AS FAST AS HE COULD TO HIS HOME, PLANNING WAYS TO SPEND HIS VACATION IN GREAT WAYS. HE REACHED HOME, CHANGED, FRESHENED UP AND WENT STRAIGHT TO COMMON PLAY AREA OF HIS SOCIETY TO MEET HIS FRIENDS. MOST OF HIS FRIENDS WERE ALREADY THERE WHEN HE REACHED AND AFTER A DISCUSSION THAT LASTED ABOUT 5 - 10 MINUTES, THEY DECIDED TO START OFF WITH A SIMPLE GAME OF 'I SPY'. EVERYTHING WAS GOING GREAT SO FAR BUT NO ONE EXPECTED WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. A LITTLE INTO THE GAME, PRATIK AND HIS FRIEND, ROHAN, WERE HIDDEN INSIDE A CABINET OF THE CLUBHOUSE WAITING FOR THEIR OTHER FRIEND TO COME AND FIND THEM. THE CABINET, IN WHICH THEY WERE HIDDEN WASNT TOO BIG BUT WAS JUST ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH OF THEM. THEY WERE SITTING SO CLOSE THAT ONE COULD EASILY FIGURE OUT THE BRAND OF THE PERFUME THE OTHER ONE WAS WEARING. THE POSITION IN WHICH ROHAN WAS SITTING GAVE HIM A LITTLE MORE ADVANTAGE OVER PRATIK TO LOOK OUT FOR THEIR FRIEND WHO WAS COMING TO FIND THEM. PRATIK'S POSITION WASNT AS COMFORTABLE AS HIS FRIEND'S AND HENCE HE HAD TO KEEP ON ADJUSTING. THE 'SPY' ENTERED THE CLUBHOUSE ON A HUNCH THAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE HIDING THERE. WHEN ROHAN SAW HIM ENTER, HE, WITHOUT MAKING ANY NOISE, TURNED TOWARDS PRATIK AND SIGNALLED HIM NOT TO MOVE OR MAKE NOISE BY KEEPING A FINGER ON HIS LIPS. THEIR FACES WERE JUST INCHES AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. PRATIK HAD A CERTAIN UNEASY FEELING RISING INSIDE HIM. HE DIDNT KNOW WHETHER IT WAS DUE TO THE CLOSENESS OF THEIR BODIES OR THE SWEET ODOUR COMING FROM ROHAN'S HAIR OR SOMETHING ELSE, HE LEANED CLOSER ROHAN AND KISSED HIM DIRECTLY ON THE LIPS. ROHAN WAS SHOCKED. HE PUSHED PRATIK AWAY FROM HIM AND GOT OUT OF THE CLOSET IN SUCH A HURRY THAT THE DOORS OF THE CABINET BANGED THE ADJACENT WALL WITH A LOUD CRASH. PRATIK WAS EMBARRASSED. HE DIDNT KNOW WHY HE DID WHAT HE DID AND JUST SAT THERE INSIDE THE CABINET IN SHOCK AT HIS OWN ACTIONS.